Outdoor news
Wilderness auction
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation will host its eighth annual Voices of the Wilderness silent auction with special guest Smoke Elser at the Alpine Ballroom, 333 Main Street, in Kalispell, on Friday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. Keynote speaker will be legendary storyteller Smoke Elser, and musical guests be the Appalachian bluegrass group Spring Wagon String Band. The famed outfitter and packer was the subject of the 2011 PBS special “3 Miles an Hour.” Auction items include oil and water color paintings, photography, pottery, leatherwork, local gift cards, outdoor gear, handmade jewelry, cast iron and more. A Kokopelli Packraft and a five-day pack trip with Swan Mountain Outfitters are the two grand prize raffle items. Tickets are $15 in advance, available online at www.bmwf.org/events.html, or $20 at the door, and include one free drink, snacks and Sweet Peaks ice cream. Space is limited. All proceeds benefit the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation. For more information, visit online at www.bmwf.org.
Grizzly moved
Federal Wildlife Services and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel recently relocated a male grizzly bear that killed a young cow north of Ovando, in the Blackfoot River Valley, to the South Fork of the Flathead River area. It was determined that a female grizzly also trapped near the dead cow was not involved, and that bear was released nearby.
Bat Day
Lone Pine State Park will host Bat Day on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 3 p.m., a free event with crafts, games and a costume contest to acknowledge visitors dressed as bats and other creatures of the night as they dance to classic Monster Mash tunes. Biologist Angela Daenzer, with Northern Rocky Mountain Grotto, will provide an interactive presentation on bats. For more information, call 406-755-2706.
Timber tour
The Kalispell Chamber Timber Tour, in conjunction with Montana Forest Products Industry Week, will take place on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 1-5 p.m. with tours leaving and returning to the Depot Building. Tours will be made to the north and south Spencer Lake timber sales and Wild Montana Logging. Discussion topics will include wildland urban interface, fuels and risk, infrastructure, treatments and products, Forest Plan revisions, timber supply, and Gov. Bullock’s Forest and Focus Initiative. To register, call 406-758-2803 or e-mail info@kalispellchamber.com.
Avy class
The fourth annual Northern Rockies Avalanche Safety Workshop will take place at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The workshop is a one-day gathering of avalanche professionals and winter backcountry enthusiasts. Pre-register at www.avalanchesafetyworkshop.com. Cost is $20 at the door, $25 online, or mail a check to NRASW, P.O. Box 4203, Whitefish MT 59937. Anyone mailing a check must register online.